Does leptin play a role in idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

Background:Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an immune disorder characterized by accelerated platelet destruction. Aim: We wanted to evaluate serum leptin levels in ITP, in order to determine the role of leptin on the pathogenesis of ITP.Methods: Twenty-three untreated patients with chronic ITP were compared with 15 healthy people of similar age, sex and body mass index (BMI). Serum leptin levels were measured by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA). Results:We found that the mean serum leptin levels in patients with ITP (26.71 +/- 17.69 ng/mL) were significantly (P < 0.001) higher than that in healthy control volunteers (6.54 +/- 4.36 ng/mL). Serum leptin levels in patients with ITP were inversely related (P < 0.001) to the platelet counts. Conclusion: We conclude that these findings suggest that leptin might be an independent factor in the pathogenesis of ITP.